"We always know where to turn when we are thinking through the many complexities of ensuring meaningful offender accountability in a respectful and effective manner: BISC-MI! We value both their tremendous expertise their willingness to share that expertise with the courts and stakeholders with whom we work. Their thoughtfulness and commitment to working collaboratively to promote victim safety through the work they do with offenders, has enhanced the work we do. Thank you!"
Liberty Adlrich
Center for Court Innovation, Families in the Justice System Technical Assistance Program
"As a new judge, I didn’t understand the dynamic in domestic violence cases. Many people focus on domestic violence as an ‘anger management issue,’ but with the resources BISC-MI provided I learned to view domestic violence as an imbalance of power and control between intimate partners. That perspective informs my decision-making, and, I believe, leads to better outcomes for victims.”
Judge Tom Boyd
"In 2010 BISC-MI leadership courageously sponsored the first, and so far only, national conference focused on contextually understanding the complexity of women's use of force: 'When She Hits Him: Why Gender & Context Matter.' In doing so they set the standard for research and practice dissemination on this critical topic. That conference link on the BISC-MI website is a "go to" national and international resources for those addressing this difficult topic. Thank you, BISC-MI, for continuing to be an innovative force for changing the status quo."
Lisa Young Larance
"Congratulations to BISC-MI on your 20th anniversary! I had the honor to present on the Duluth Model at the “From Roots to Wings Conference” in 2005. Your leadership has helped all of us that do this important work to continue to engage in meaningful dialogue on effective ways of reducing and ending gender violence."
Michael Paymar
Executive Director, Education for Critical Thinking
"BISC-MI has been so forward thinking in their work that their statewide initiative around abuse intervention quickly caught national attention. They have filled a much needed gap in the work by offering themselves as a national clearinghouse for research and best practices in intervention programming; always looking at services from different angles and leaving space for opposing views to think through issues. They are an invaluable resource to our profession and we have their thoughtful, inquisitive and creative staff to thank for compiling information and ensuring that programs serve diverse families and communities."
Lisa Nitsch
Director of Clinical Services & Education, House of Ruth Maryland
"My first contact with BISC-MI was in 2005 at the Roots to Wings Conference---one of the best conferences I have ever attended. BISC did an incredible outreach to folks from all over the country. There work with IPV has been innovative and creative. I have experienced an openness and willingness to participate collaboratively with staff. They continue to host statewide conferences and they are a group I am always willing to work with. I celebrate their outstanding work with the perpetrators of domestic violence and their anniversary. Congratulations BISC-MI and to David Garvin, who has been an outstanding leader in this movement."
Alyce LaViolette
Founder-Alternatives to Violence
"BISC-MI is by far the most impressive and effective coalition of programs for men who batter in the country. In fact, I consider it an invaluable national resource on the topic. I often use the information from its website and have thoroughly benefited from attending its conferences."
Juan Carlos Arean
"The BISC-MI has taken on a role that many people don't want to support...the counseling and healing of the batterer. They understand that 'true' prevention on the issues of domestic violence is an inclusion, not an exclusion of the batterer. It is difficult to assist the batterer in understanding and accepting what has been done to victims of domestic violence by their hands. BISC-MI provides a balanced environment so that the batterer feeling judged, rejected and frustrated are emotions to be understood and not used as a label to describe them. The safety of the victim or survivor is never compromised."
Mildred D Muhammad
Founder/Executive Director,
After The Trauma, Inc.
"As a criminal defense attorney, I am extremely grateful for the the work done by BISC-MI. Clients and their families have experienced miraculous positive changes in their lives. In addition to batterer intervention programs, themselves, I also appreciate the information provided on line by BISC-MI and the conferences I've attended, where people from diverse communities from all over the state and country are enlightened."
Brant Funkhouser
Criminal Defense Attorney
"I am a 90’s domestic violence prosecutor who has provided training and technical assistance on the criminal justice response to domestic violence for the last 17 years. I have often been asked about batterers’ programs – where to learn about them, where to compare certification standards, and so on. The only place with all that information IN one place is BISC-MI, and that is where I would send people with those questions. Additionally, as a trainer and technical assistance provider on the criminal justice response to domestic violence, from time to time I have found myself at the same policy meetings as the chair of BISC-MI, David Garvin. At the last of these meetings, frustration was being expressed at the “numbers game” sometimes used to try and evaluate batterers’ programs (recidivism, etc.). David responded by exemplifying the “only place with all that information IN one place” leadership that BISC-MI has in talking about, Why can’t men be asked? Why can’t those who work with men be asked – asked to provide that qualitative information so sorely lacking?
I recalled that a member program of BISC-MI, Alternatives to Aggression, was the first – and I believe still the only – program to collect what batterers said about their battering and combined it into a list as well as a poster called “Know Excuses.” I have used this many times in training."
Rhonda Martinson, J.D.
Rhonda Martinson Consulting, LLC
734.707.7550